Senior Commissioning and Contracts Officer
| Dyddiad hysbysebu: | 14 Ionawr 2026 |
|---|---|
| Cyflog: | £48,226 i £51,356 bob blwyddyn |
| Oriau: | Llawn Amser |
| Dyddiad cau: | 28 Ionawr 2026 |
| Lleoliad: | Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RG |
| Gweithio o bell: | Hybrid - gweithio o bell hyd at 1 diwrnod yr wythnos |
| Cwmni: | West Sussex County Council |
| Math o swydd: | Parhaol |
| Cyfeirnod swydd: | CAFHE06127_1768382943 |
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Join us - make a difference in our communities
As part of the Directorate of Public Health, Health and Social Care, the Public Health Department is a progressive, multi-disciplinary department committed to improving health and tackling inequalities in West Sussex. The Department of Public Health is the chief source of specialist public health advice and leadership within West Sussex. The key role is to "protect and improve lifelong health and wellbeing of everyone in West Sussex by commissioning evidence-based services and empowering people to make healthier choices".
A priority for the Directorate is to support people to stay healthy, happy and independent, by ensuring there are services to reduce their risk factors and by providing support services to enable people to maintain their wellbeing, independence and to maximise their independence. The increasing challenges and demands placed on the health and social care sector are well documented as is the complexity of task facing professionals working within this arena.
About the Job
As a Senior Commissioning and Contract Officer, you will be part of the team that will ensure good quality, affordable services are available for all our residents. The role sits within the Public Health Commissioning Team, responsible for the delivery of multiple contracts across West Sussex. Working proactively with existing and emerging markets, you will develop relationships with service users and providers that ensure services are responsive and meet need.
This will be a challenging, dynamic and rewarding role, and we are looking for individuals who have the appropriate aptitude and skills to make a difference for some of the most vulnerable residents in our communities, including children and young people, older vulnerable people, those with mental health needs or learning disabilities, people with substance misuse issues and others with long term complex health or continuing health care needs.
You will be responsible for commissioning and contract managing medium-high risk/value contracts to ensure performance is achieved. This will require reviewing and developing service specifications and determining the most appropriate route to market. The contracts will vary in size and complexity depending on the services being offered and the outcomes required. You will collate performance information through establishing and managing routine monitoring processes including regular meetings with providers. Supported by the broader team, you will identify performance issues, agree performance improvement plans and use your knowledge of the performance levers within the contracts to improve performance.
You will be required to support the identification and delivery of substantial efficiencies from established contracts and ensure future contracting includes financial KPIs to maximise value, alongside improvements in outcomes for service users. The role will be part of a growing multi dynamic Directorate, and you will need to be willing to operate across a number of services/pathways.
The Opportunity
Salary: £48,226 to £51,356 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time Monday - Friday - 37 hours per week
Location: Based at County Hall, Chichester with hybrid working options
Interview Date:
Your responsibilities will include:
- Commissioning and contract management across a range of contracts delivering Public Health services through commissioned providers such as NHS trusts, Pharmacies, VCSE and our partners in District and Borough councils.
- Support procurement of services that deliver Public Health outcomes.
- Engagement and development of the wider market.
- Analysis and interrogation of contract data to ensure monitoring of budgets and payments.
- Supporting Public Health teams in commissioning and procurement planning and service delivery.
What are we looking for?
Some of the key skills and experience required for this role include:
- Significant experience of working in the public sector within commissioning and contract management systems/practices and providing effective delivery.
- Strong, pragmatic problem-solving skills allowing you to anticipate problems and resolve issues independently.
- Organisational skills, forward planning and developing timelines for meeting commissioning and contract management objectives and deadlines.
- Excellent literacy and numeracy skills to understand very complex tender documents, contracts, quarterly reports and to check statistical financial information.
- Highly developed analytical and judgemental skills to diagnose, analyse and interpret highly complex or technical information. This will include written briefings, development of service specifications/ KPIs/ Outcome measures and procurement documentation.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively and influence a range of internal and external stakeholders, and to create and maintain effective working relationships.
- Effective people management skills, including performance management skills and the ability to provide direction and support to individuals and teams.
- Experience of working and leading programmes and identifying, developing, and delivering business improvements.
For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.
Working for us
As an employer we recognise our employees are central to everything we do. To recognise this, we want to help support your development and provide a great place to work. So, upon joining us, you will have access to a range of benefits including:
For a full list, please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.
Further Information
The reference number for this role is CAFHE06127.
For an informal chat about the role please contact Fiona Mackison, Head of Commissioning - Public Health Directorate on Fiona Mackison issues or queries regarding your application please contact .
Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.
To apply
Please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining how you can demonstrate the skills required in the key skills and experience detailed in the attached job description that you bring to the role. Please ensure that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.
Please save the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 3 years referencing and a health check.
Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.